June 29, 2010

The new Hugs and Prayers set, created by Nina Brackett, was designed with sentiments that make for beautiful and touching sympathy cards. While this set was created for that purpose, the images can also be used for other projects outside of sympathy cards.

I created a scrapbook pages using these beautiful images and a photo of my daughter (photo courtesy of Family Room Studio). One of the things that I really love about this set is that many of the images have lined and solid mirror images of each other. An example is the lined image of the flowers that I embossed on the rose colored cardstock and the solid image I embossed on the Sweet Corn cardstock. You can use the images separately or you can stamp the lined image in a darker color over the solid image for a 2-step effect.

For my page, I embossed all of my images with white embossing powder as I love the contrast it gives. I used a rose cardstock for my base and added Sweet Corn cardstock for my mat and Vibrant Violet for my embellishments and journaling mat. The white swirls in the upper corner are from the bottom of one of the images. I just made sure to stamp only the bottom of the image along my corners to get the swirly flourished look.

I added a length of royal purple ribbon with white brads along the bottom of my page. My journaling was done with a Black glaze pen, which is my favorite for journaling.

For even more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, check out these designer's links:

We'd also like to invite you to attend our Release Party this Thursday, July 1st starting at 7 pm central on StampTV! There will be challenges, contest questions, and more samples from our designers on all the new stamp sets being released this month! We'd love to have you join in on the fun!

June 27, 2010

I've had the pictures from our 2005 cruise to the Western Caribbean sitting in photo boxes for 5 years, just waiting to be put on pages. I can't believe I've let them sit there this long. It was definitely good timing for scrapping these pictures with the new GinaK release sets being debuted this week!

I used both the Aloha and In Stitches sets for my scrapbook page and now I can say that I've officially started on those vacation pictures!

I created a beach scene with the palm tree and sand images from the Aloha set along the bottom of my page using Rich Cocoa ink. The sand image gives a really cool textured look, especially on Kraft cardstock. I used Koh-i-noor pencils to add color and detail to my scene.

I stamped a couple of the large flowers from the Aloha set on Kraft cardstock and used the Koh-i-noor pencils on those, as well, and trimmed them out with precision scissors.

The flower border from the In Stitches set has the perfect tropical feel to it to make a great pairing with the Aloha set. I stamped the border with Rich Cocoa ink on top, bottom and in between my two pictures. I really like the separation it gave between the pictures and it didn't take much at all.

We'd also like to invite you to attend our Release Party this Thursday, July 1st starting at 7 pm central on StampTV! There will be challenges, contest questions, and more samples from our designers on all the new stamp sets being released this month! We'd love to have you join in on the fun!

June 03, 2010

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in a Photo Swap on the growing Soul Scrappers community (an inspiring community of amazing scrapbookers that I started in January of this year). A fellow scrapbooker and I traded photos. She lives in Australia and I live in Vermont. I found it fascinating that two women worlds away were working on pictures that meant a lot to both of us.

Michelle sent me this photo of her adorable dog, Holly, when she was still a puppy. This is the page that I created for her.

I used a light brown 12 x 12 textured page as my base. I added strips of patterned paper from the Razzleberry Lemonade Designer Series Paper to pop some color onto the page and give it a slightly feminine look for such a cute little girl puppy.

I used the "D is for Dog" stamp set with Basic Brown ink to add the paw
prints and bones for my borders. I also stamped the The dog image, as
well as the two sentiments, are all from this set. The dog was stamped
onto cardstock and cut out to adhere to the page.

I used a black glaze pen to write the doggy's name across the pink paper.

I love using stamps in my scrapbook and if you'd like to learn how, I have a new class coming up that will teach you how. You can check out all the info here:

May 24, 2010

I really enjoy using stamps in my scrapbooks. Besides the fact that I have so many options open to me, the next best thing I like about using stamps to scrapbook is that I never run out of them. Unlike stickers or store bought embellishments, I can use my stamps over and over again on my pages. Borders, titles, embellishments, etc. SO many uses for them and I can get SO many uses out of them!

For my page, I used the new set from Theresa Momber: Hope Grows. Just like the page I did yesterday, I used one of the sentiments from the Hope Grows set to incorporate into my journaling. In this instance, I used it as the title for my page.

I started with a light yellow 12x12 page and cut 3 of my photos down to 5.5 x 4 inches so that I could stretch them across my page and still leave room on top for a full 4 x 6 photo. I used a self adhesive border to go on top and bottom of my photos. This created a faux mat.

I stamped my images onto three of the new cardstocks that are debuting with this release: Grass Green, Sweet Mango and Turquoise Sea. I stamped with Versamark ink and embossed with clear embossing powder, then trimmed my images out with precision tip scissors.

I used a blue cardstock sticker for a mat under the Sweet Mango butterfly. The sentiment was stamped with black ink.

Please make plans to attend ourRelease party this Thursday night, May 27th from 7-10 central time which will be held at StampTV. There will be contest questions, challenges, samples from several designers and lots of chatter all leading up to 10pm central, when all the new products and stamp sets previewed this week on our blogs become available online through GinaK Designs store!

May 23, 2010

Are you up for some sneak peeks today? At GinaK, the design team has been getting inky and creating with the brand new sets that are debuting at this week's release party on Thursday night at StampTV.

Today's sneak peek is the new Botanicals set by GinaK. You all know what a sucker I am for silhouette type images. There was no question about whether or not I needed this set. It wasn't about want, but about NEED. *wink* There are so many cool techniques that can be done with silhouette style images. Even something so simple as embossing them onto patterned paper, like I did on this scrapbook page, gives a really fantastic effect.

I stamped the flower images from the Botanicals set across the bottom of a piece of 12 x 12 patterned paper with Versamark ink and then embossed them with a Vintage Verdigris embossing powder.

I also stamped and embossed one of the images onto a piece of vellum. I swiped the back of the vellum with light brown ink to tone it down a bit. I did my journaling with a Black glaze pen (as well as the title) and I also used one of the sentiment images from the Botanicals set to finish off my journaling. I love that about sentiments....sometimes they're more than just for cards. You can incorporate them into your scrapbooking journaling. The sentiment was stamped on the new Grass Green cardstock that is coming out with this release. I swiped around the edges with the light brown ink

I used some of the ribbon from the new StampTV kit (which we'll be sneak-peeking Tuesday night on our blogs) and rubbed a light brown ink pad over it to give it more of a vintage look so that it would coordinate better with my patterned paper.

My photo (courtesy of Family Room Studio - taken in May 2007)is a 5x7 photo (which I love using for single photos on 12x12 pages). I cut a mat of Green Grass cardstock and swiped the edges with light brown ink since the green was a little too bright for my layout. This is an easy technique to tone down your colors and also to give an aged and distressed appearance to your cardstock or even on patterned papers.

For more samples with the stamp sets being previewed tonight, check out these Designer's Links:

Please make plans to attend ourRelease party this Thursday night, May 27th from 7-10 central time which will be held at StampTV. There will be contest questions, challenges, samples from several designers and lots of chatter all leading up to 10pm central, when all the new products and stamp sets previewed this week on our blogs become available online through GinaK Designs store!

April 28, 2010

I challenged myself to make a layout using some recycled items and I love how this came out. Now I'm challenging you over on Soul Scrappers to create a layout of your own with recycled items. What do you have hanging around the house that could go on a layout other than the scrapbooking supplies you have? What can you re-use on your page that would have otherwise been tossed out?

For my page, I used leftover fish net, some bottle caps, sea glass,
some sand (mixed with a little bit of glitter) and letters cut from
magazine pages to put on my bottle caps.

I also used the new GinaK set, Gifts from the Sea (one of my new favorite shell sets), to stamp the shell images and watercolor them.

GO GREEN with your layout to celebrate Earth Month!

There's two weeks to do your layout and I'll pick a winner from the entries and send a grab bag of scrapbooking supplies to winner!

Have you checked out Soul Scrappers yet? It's a growing scrapbooking community that started 3 months ago that focuses on using scrapbooking to tell our stories - through photos, journaling and creativity.

April 23, 2010

One of the things that I hear most often about my scrapbook layouts is that people connect with the journaling. They feel that, even if they don't know me, they can connect with me and feel like they know me simply by reading the journaling that I've included on my layouts. They feel like they understand the story I'm trying to tell by reading my journaling.

The next thing that I hear most often is that journaling is really hard for most people to include on their layouts. There are many reasons that people don't include journaling on their layouts.

They feel like they don't have anything to say.

They don't know where to start.

They feel like they're not a writer.

They hate their own handwriting.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Do you feel this way?

The truth is, there's a writer in all of us. Our photos have stories to tell. Some people just need a little help to bring that writer out to tell the story.

"The Journaling 101 Online Scrapbook Course" is tailored for people just like you!

"A picture is worth a thousand words."We all know the saying......but do we put the words with our pictures? If you're putting your pictures in scrapbook albums but aren't telling the stories that go with them, you're missing the other half of the photos.....the words that tell the story!

If you're looking to create artistic and creative albums and want to tell the stories but need some help to get started, then I know you'll enjoy the upcoming 12 week course that I've created.

"The Journaling 101 Online Scrapbook Course" starts May 10th.

All of the classes will be archived on the site through Oct. 4th, 2010 so if you can't get to the challenges and homework right away, you can always go back to it. This course was created so that you can go at your own pace, so there's plenty of time to get caught up if you need to.

** A gallery for you to upload your pages to so that we can all share with each other

** An interactive forum with discussions on each week's work

** PDF files with all of the course outlines so that you can print them out or save them to your computer for future use

** One-on-one email correspondence with me (Erika Martin) if you need help with any of the tasks

If you're already a scrapbooker or even if you've never scrapbooked before.....this course has something for everyone! It doesn't matter where you live or what you scrapbook with, this course has been created for everyone!

This interactive and creative online 12-week course can be paid for in 2 different ways:

Pay for the course in full and SAVE $6!

- $69.00

Pay for the course in 3 monthly payments of $25 each (for a total of $75)

- $25.00 per month for 3 months*

Use the "Add to Cart" buttons above to pay securely with Visa or MasterCard. If you'd like to pay with PayPal, please contact me at erikaerin2001@yahoo.com to request an invoice.

A confirmation and welcome letter will be emailed to you as soon as your payment is submitted.

This course is sure to inspire, challenge and teach you, but you're also sure to come away from this course with a confidence that you CAN effectively and artistically share your stories in your scrapbook albums. Through the interactive website you'll be learning on, you'll also be sure to come away with some new found friends.

* Monthly plans will be billed at $25.00 each month, for the duration of three months, starting from the date you register. Your payment method of choice will be automatically charged on a 30 day cycle.

The "Stampin' Mama Online Journaling 101 Scrapbook Course" is intended only for those that pay for the course. Entrance into the site for this course is by payment only and is limited by invite and passwords for course students only. Thank you for respecting these limitations.

April 18, 2010

One of our favorite places to visit on vacation are places that are close to the ocean. We enjoy the calm, the quiet, the peacefulness. The sound of the waves lapping against the shore, the seagulls flying overhead, the perfect harmony of green, blue and brown coming together in the shoreline....it's some place that I could stay forever.

When Melanie Muenchinger came out with her new "Gifts from the Sea" set, I knew that it would be a wonderful addition to so many of the beach pictures that I need to scrapbook. Pictures from Florida, the Caribbean, Nova Scotia, Mexico and more. I can see myself using this set a lot for my scrapbook pages.

I created a 12 x 12 scrapbook page using 3 pictures from our 2007 trip to Florida to visit my grandmother with the kids. Even though Zach had been to the ocean in Nova Scotia and Rhode Island, he insisted that he had to taste the salty ocean water in Florida to find out if it was different. These pictures are so precious to me and remind me of the innocence of childhood that I hope my children will always retain, even as they grow into adults. One of the greetings in the set was perfect for this page - "Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach."

I tore paper for the scene on the bottom and used the sand texture stamp in the set to add some texture to my Kraft cardstock. I also used the sand stamp to add some texture under the shell next to the greeting under the pictures.

I stamped some shells on white cardstock with a Rich Cocoa ink pad and added color to them by pressing my ink pads against their lids and using a paintbrush and water to pick up some color to paint with. I created some sand with ink watercolors on top of the sand texture image under the quote.

Even the seagulls come with the "Gifts of the Sea" set and there's two different sizes to choose from. I used a Black Glaze pen for my journaling.

The Release Party is this Thursday, April 22 on StampTV. There will be challenges, contest questions, chatter, as well as tons of samples from the Design Team members from 7-10 (central time) all leading to the new products being available in GinaK's online store at 10pm. We'd love to have you join us for our monthly party!

April 14, 2010

One of the things that I hear most often about my scrapbook layouts is that people connect with the journaling. They feel that, even if they don't know me, they can connect with me and feel like they know me simply by reading the journaling that I've included on my layouts. They feel like they understand the story I'm trying to tell by reading my journaling.

The next thing that I hear most often is that journaling is really hard for most people to include on their layouts. There are many reasons that people don't include journaling on their layouts.

They feel like they don't have anything to say.

They don't know where to start.

They feel like they're not a writer.

They hate their own handwriting.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? Do you feel this way?

The truth is, there's a writer in all of us. Our photos have stories to tell. Some people just need a little help to bring that writer out to tell the story.

"The Journaling 101 Online Scrapbook Course" is tailored for people just like you!

"A picture is worth a thousand words."We all know the saying......but do we put the words with our pictures? If you're putting your pictures in scrapbook albums but aren't telling the stories that go with them, you're missing the other half of the photos.....the words that tell the story!

If you're looking to create artistic and creative albums and want to tell the stories but need some help to get started, then I know you'll enjoy the upcoming 12 week course that I've created.

"The Journaling 101 Online Scrapbook Course" starts May 10th.

All of the classes will be archived on the site through Oct. 4th, 2010 so if you can't get to the challenges and homework right away, you can always go back to it. This course was created so that you can go at your own pace, so there's plenty of time to get caught up if you need to.

** A gallery for you to upload your pages to so that we can all share with each other

** An interactive forum with discussions on each week's work

** PDF files with all of the course outlines so that you can print them out or save them to your computer for future use

** One-on-one email correspondence with me (Erika Martin) if you need help with any of the tasks

If you're already a scrapbooker or even if you've never scrapbooked before.....this course has something for everyone! It doesn't matter where you live or what you scrapbook with, this course has been created for everyone!

This interactive and creative online 12-week course can be paid for in 2 different ways:

Pay for the course in full and SAVE $6!

- $69.00

Pay for the course in 3 monthly payments of $25 each (for a total of $75)

- $25.00 per month for 3 months*

Use the "Add to Cart" buttons above to pay securely with Visa or MasterCard. If you'd like to pay with PayPal, please contact me at erikaerin2001@yahoo.com to request an invoice.

A confirmation and welcome letter will be emailed to you as soon as your payment is submitted.

This course is sure to inspire, challenge and teach you, but you're also sure to come away from this course with a confidence that you CAN effectively and artistically share your stories in your scrapbook albums. Through the interactive website you'll be learning on, you'll also be sure to come away with some new found friends.

* Monthly plans will be billed at $25.00 each month, for the duration of three months, starting from the date you register. Your payment method of choice will be automatically charged on a 30 day cycle.

The "Stampin' Mama Online Journaling 101 Scrapbook Course" is intended only for those that pay for the course. Entrance into the site for this course is by payment only and is limited by invite and passwords for course students only. Thank you for respecting these limitations.

March 27, 2010

I've always wanted to do a photo swap but never had the opportunity....until just recently. My friend, Shazza, put together a swap over at my scrapbooking community, Soul Scrappers, and we all had so much fun working with other people's photos. Sure, I've scrapbooked other people's photos in albums that I've done as gifts or for commissioned scrapbooks, but I've never had a page done by someone else of MY pictures. It was such a great experience to see what someone else did with my pictures. I was thrilled with the way that Amanda, my swap partner, scrapbooked some of my favorite photos of my daughter and I.

Amanda sent me some photos of her adorable 4 year old son, Connor. This is the page that I created for her.

I mounted the photos on Silver Linking and Rocket Red cardstock and placed some stars around the corners and popped the silver starts up on pop-dots.

The ribbon is from one of the past StampTV kits that GinaK offered and worked great with my color scheme.

The title was done by stamping a star on Silver Lining cardstock and cutting around it. I used a Black glaze pen for the words.

The frames were stamped with an image from the Organize It stamp set with white ink on Rocket Red cardstock. I used one of the half circles (meant for creating tabs) with white ink to create a smile and used a white gel pen for the words and little images.